The use of marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, or cigarettes
can contribute to social, physical, and psychological problems for the
user and for society. People who are experiencing multiple, current problems
related to their use of a drug may represent a group who are in need of
treatment or other services for their drug use. This chapter first discusses
how drug-related problems were measured in the 1997 NHSDA. Estimates of
the prevalence of problems related to the use of marijuana, cocaine, alcohol,
and cigarettes are then presented. Estimates are given by age group for
the total population, for users of these substances in the past year, and
for more frequent or heavier users in the past year or past month. Although
estimates are given for the total population (including nonusers as well
as users in the denominator), the discussion emphasizes problems experienced
by people who reported using a given drug in the past year or who reported
more frequent or heavier use in the past year or past month.
